Improvement in cartridges for fire-armr



GOMEZ & MILLS.

' .Oawtaridge.

Pateqwd Aug. '24, 1858,

PL WERS. VHOTGUFHOGRAFMER WiSHlNGTON, D (L UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFioE.

E. GOMEZ Ann W. Mitts, oft NEW YORK, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES POE FIRE-ARMS.

Specification fomag'part of Letters Patent 10121353, dated Augzist 24,1858.

To all when! when concern:

Be it known that no, ltnwnv GoMEz and -WILL1AM MILLS, of the city andState of New York, have in vented, made, and applied to use, certain newand useful Improvements in (Jartridges for Fire-Arms, Cannons, and otherexplosive material contained in cases of explosive material, as well asnon-explosive pa-. per, 85c; and cartridges have also been formed ofexplosive paper or similar material. Our invention, therefore, does notrelate to either of the ioregoing devices, but consists in a means fordistributing the force of an explosive compound over a sni'ficientextent of surface to prevent the arm exploding Our invention alsorelates to a means for removing,

the paper or case of the cartridge from the barrel of the fire-arm. y

In Letters Patent granted to us on the 15th day of Sew-ember, 1857, acomposition is set forth as especially adapted to the manufac ture oftrains and safety-fuse; but this, if applied in the same manner asgunpowder in cartridges, is found to be so sudden in its explosion andso concentrated in its action as to be dangerous and liable to burst thefire-arm. The same may be said of fnlminate of mercury and othercompounds. To avoid this concentrated action of the said explosive materials we distribute the same over a larger extent of surface, andthereby remove all liability to injure the piece, by the use ofalternate layers of explosive material and paper, or equivalentnon-explosive substance; and to remove the said paper or other materialand prevent its clogging the piece, we make use of a winding of stringattached to the base of the ball, which draws out the said paper andolther refuse matter, leaving the gun'entirely 0 can.

' at the base of-the ball.

In the drawing, a is the ball, of an elongated, or conical shape; I) isa paper or similar case, one end of which is attached by the stringc tothe base of the ball. (1 is the explosive material in layers, with paperor equivalent material intervening, which is t'd be inserted within thecase b, and then the string 0 is wound around the cartridge, as seen inFig..

1, the ends of the string being tied together In cases wherethcoxplosive compound can be dissolved or made into the form of a paint,as is the case with our said patented compound, we prefer-to lay thesame onto sheets of paper with a paint-brush, thencut said sheets upinto strips and roll the same up as seen in Fig. 3; and where paper isused for the case b, we prefer that the string 0 be attached to the endnext the ball by turningthe paper over the string and g unnning orpastingthe same.

This cartrid e when in use has the followin g peculiar properties: Thein tervcniug paper forms a filling that causes the given amount ofexplosive material to occupy more space, and consequently lessen thesudden action of the explosive compound. on the barrel. -The paper also,being sli g'htl y elastic, aids, in relieviug the barrel, and also aidsin making a tight joint with the breech-piece in breech-loading guns.Any smoke or soilagc from the explosive. material is principallyretained within the paper, thus'lveeping the gun clean.

The winding of string; 0, or its equivalent, draws out the paper orrefuse matter, leaving the gun clean for another cartridge. "he windingof string; prevents the paper or other material becoming embedded in thegrooves of rifled barrels.

When said cartridge is greased, or similarly prepared, it is preferableon account of keeping the barrel in better order, and also preventingthe string or casing beeoming ignited by the exph'ision.

' \Ve do not claim cartridges formed of explosive paper or othermaterial, and we do not limit ourselves to any pa rticular explosivecompound made use of in our cartridge; but

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is- 1. The manner herein specified of forming cartridges for fire-arms,and other purposes.

, and as specified.

py aiternate layers or explosive maneriai and In witness whereof we havehereunto set paper, or similar substance, for the purposes oursignatures this 24th day of June, 1858.

EDWIN GOMEZ.

2. The winding of string or equivalent ma- .WILLIAM MILLS terial,attaching the case to the base of the bail, for the purpose of removingsaid ease and any refuse maim'erfrom the barrel, as described and shown.

Witnesses: I 4

LEMUEL' W. SEBRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD.

